Tarkett Launches Woven Fringe
Happy Accidents Can Equal Innovation
Tarkett, a worldwide leader in innovative and sustainable flooring and sports surface solutions, launches the Woven Fringe Collection. As is the case with most of the world’s greatest innovations, the Woven Fringe Collection is the result of a happy accident. When the team set out to create a refined matte, flatweave surface, they were challenged to eliminate uneven color streaks, and looked for ways to diffuse or mask this undesired visual.
During early production trials, they were pushing the loom wire mechanism to its limits, and caused the wire repositioning to misfire. Though the result was unintended, its visual stopped them in their tracks. The misfiring wires created a line of long, uncut face fiber—or fringe—across the weft. This effect mirrored the fringe selvedge edge that a velvet weaving loom produces on every carpet it weaves—and became a source of inspiration the design team has used as a muse for years.
Though the visual was inspiring, they struggled to reproduce its effect in a predictable, safe way. Finally, after multiple trials, they have honed this technique and discovered a way to safely recreate the fringe effect in a consistent manner—paving the way for Velvet Fringe broadloom. Complementary pattern Velvet Line is a more streamlined, coordinating version to complete the series. Made with solution-dyed yarn to conserve water, the collection is well suited for workplace and hospitality environments.
Tarkett believes in placing people in the center of every space. As part of Tarkett North America’s sustainability measures and commitment to people-friendly spaces that perform and inspire, the Woven Fringe Collection is:
- Fluorine free: using Eco-Ensure (C2C Gold Material Health certified as a stain resistant treatment)
- Recyclability: recyclable through the ReStart® reclamation program
- Eliminated all X-RED (hazardous) Dyes and Chemicals in yarn dying process and replaced them with more eco-friendly alternatives
- LEED v4: meets new requirements for indoor air quality credit on low emitting flooring (CRI Green Label Plus) and low TVOCs
More information about all of Tarkett’s products can be found at www.tarkettna.com.
About Tarkett
With a history stretching back 135 years, Tarkett is a worldwide leader in innovative flooring and sports surface solutions, with net sales of more than €2.8 billion in 2018. Offering a wide range of products including vinyl, linoleum, rubber, carpet, wood and laminate flooring, artificial turf and athletics tracks, the Group serves customers in over 100 countries across the globe. Tarkett has 13,000 employees and 35 industrial sites, and sells 1.3 million square meters of flooring every day, for hospitals, schools, housing, hotels, offices, stores and sports fields. Committed to “Doing Good. Together.”, the Group has implemented an eco-innovation strategy based on Cradle to Cradle® principles and promotes circular economy, with the ultimate goal of contributing to people’s health and wellbeing, and preserving natural capital. Tarkett is listed on Euronext Paris (compartment A, ISIN: FR0004188670, ticker: TKTT) and is a constituent of the SBF 120 and CAC Mid 60 indexes. www.tarkett.com.
